Friday, May 29, 2015

Kancha Aamer Chutney or Mango Chutney is sweet and tangy chutney which is made with seasons raw mangoes. In Bengali cuisine Chutney is an integral part during summer time. It is a stand-alone side meal which could act as a side dish as well as a dessert during the end of a meal. Even a hint of spice would add an extra zing to it. Like I prefer the flavour of roasted and powdered fennel seeds sprinkled over the final dish.

Raw mangoes are as much awaited as ripe mangoes.Aam dal, Aam pora shorbot, Aam Murraba are to name a few dishes that are made with raw mangoes.You can also check my previous posts with Raw Mangoes: Aam Dal, A very light and soupy version called Aam Jhol and Aam ki Launji **This post has been Re-edited, re-photographed and re-published Ingredients: 1 Kancha Aam / Raw mango1/2 cup Sugar2 whole Red chilly1/2 tsp Panch phoron1/2 tsp Fennel Seeds /Saunf (dry roast and pound it in a mortar pestle to get a coarse powder)1/4 tsp Mustard seeds1/2 tsp Red chilly powderPinch of turmeric powderPinch of salt1-2 cups of water1 tbsp Mustard oilMethod:Wash and peel the mango. Chop them in cubes and do not discard the pit. Heat oil in a pan and add mango pieces, sprinkle little salt and red chilly powder and fry till light brown. Now keep these fried pieces aside.

In the same pan add whole red chillies, fennel and mustard seeds, as the seeds starts spluttering, add fried mango pieces and saute till the mango chunks soften a bit. Add 2 cups of water and simmer on low flame. Cover and cook till the mangoes soften.

Add sugar and stir well till it gets dissolved. Cook till it thickens to your desired consistency. I personally like little thick consistency, taste and adjust the sweetness you prefer. Remove from heat and sprinkle saunf powder over the chutney and cover it for 5 minutes. Serve warm or cold.

Notes:

Use jaggery instead of sugar as it will give a nice color. Moreover it is healthier and tastier alternative to sugar.

Using Panch phoron bhaja moshla is another very popular version of Kanch Aamer chutney. So instead of Saunf powder you can dry roast Panch phoron and grind it to powder. Sprinkle this over chutney.

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Kiwi fruit is full of Vitamins and minerals, recently a study has proved its role in lowering blood pressure levels. In fact did you know Kiwi contain more of the antioxidant than oranges and lemons.

Kiwi may look a small brownish, hairy skinned but they are rich source of Vitamin A, E, potassium, copper, iron and magnesium. Summer is in full swing, which means more of juices and milkshakes. I take 2 varieties of juices in a day to stay hydrated. And fortunately summer means lots of friendly fruits in the market. For this recipe I have used fresh and ripe Kiwis and cucumber. So the next time you are feeling thirsty, make this green juice and enjoy this beverage as a breakfast drink for kids and adults.Ingredients: (For 2 tall glasses)3 peeled Kiwis1/4 cup diced Cucumber (peeled)Few ice-cubesMethod:Cut kiwis into large chunks (save 2 round thick slices for garnish). In a blender or food processor, blend together the pieces of kiwi, cucumber and ice cubes. Divide juice among 2 glasses and garnish with remaining kiwis. Serve immediately.

Friday, May 15, 2015

I am going to share one royal Paneer dish i.e. Paneer Kali Mirch. This mouthwatering Kalimirch Paneer is coated with cashew- onion paste and cream. One thing that I feel extremely proud as an Indian is the success of curry all across the world. Just now I was chatting with my sister over Whatsapp, she was telling me how surprised she felt on seeing Sarvana Bhawan and Desi Indian Restaurants in Paris. It’s so popular that in UK there is a yearly curry festival where various veg and non-veg curries are savored by people and attracts lots of visitors from around the world. Paneer means cottage cheese and Kali mirch is Black pepper, hence the name Kali mirch wala Paneer. Basically cubes of cottage cheese is marinated with mix of spices and then simmered slowly with Cashew paste to bring out the flavor. The end result is before you...

Heat oil in a non-stick pan. Fry the paneer pieces until turns to light pink (be careful as frying them too long will make paneer lose it's softness). **Save the left over of marinade to use later. Dip the fired paneer pieces into 1/2 warm milk.

We need to blanch the onions for this recipe so after you peel them, cut onions into four pieces. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, drop the onions in the hot water and continue to boil for another 4-5 minutes or till soft. Remove the blanched onions immediately and place them in cold water. Once they cool completely, drain from cold water and keep aside.

Now make a paste of blanched onion, ginger, green chilies, cashews with 15 peppercorns*. In the remaining oil add tej patta and cloves and stir it for a second.

Add onion-cashew paste and fry till it's light pink or till you see oil leaving the sides. Take the marinade leftover **add little water and mix in salt, red chilly powder, coriander powder and pepper powder and stir well for 3-4 minutes. Lateradd whisked yogurt. Stir fast so that it doesn't curdle. Add one cup of water and salt to taste and bring it to boil.

After first boil add fried paneer pieces and let it cook on medium flame for another 3-4 minutes. Mix in cream and garam masala. Adjust the seasoning and consistency of the gravy, cover the pan and cook it for another 5-6 minutes. Remove from the heat and garnish with freshly grounded black peppercorns and serve hot with Peshawari Paratha or Kulcha.